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Fight Tension Headaches with Facial Stretches

When a tension headache strikes, you may be able to relieve some of the pressure with some facial stretching. Try this: Lift and relax eyebrows. Open both eyes wide and lift both eyebrows, like you’re really surprised. Then relax and let your eyes and eyebrows drop down again. The one-eyebrow salute. This one might take some practice — hold one eyebrow in place with your fingers and lift the other. Then switch! Squint your eyes, then relax. Repeat a few times, then squint one eye at a time, leaving the other relaxed. Try to squeeze your eyes hard enough that … Continue reading →

Managing Tension Headaches

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If you’re like me, you are no stranger to headaches. Up to eighty percent of all adults experience tension headaches. Call them what you will: stress headaches, daily headaches, muscle contraction headaches — they all stink. I used to get tension headaches frequently in my last job, and I blamed them on a lot of things. It was the fluorescent lights. It was the pressure of the deadlines. It was the critical coworkers. Tension headaches are usually caused by environmental or internal stress, and I was getting both at the office. You may get your tension headaches infrequently — maybe … Continue reading →

Alternative Treatments for Pain

While most of the time we think about using medication to ease pain, the reality is that sometimes other treatments are better, sometimes because these other treatments can bring better relief and sometimes because personal preference or a physical condition makes us seek out other ways to deal with the pain. There is growing evidence that alternative treatments can be very effective with fewer side effects than those that are associated with pain medication. Plus, growing evidence shows that the mind/body connection may be more effective in managing pain long term. Here are some of the more common alternative treatments … Continue reading →

Pain and Sleep

In a way, pain is a good thing: it is the body’s way of saying that something is wrong, and giving you a general idea of where the problem is. But pain can mess with your appetite, concentration, sleeping habits, and more. Sometimes, pain makes you want (or need) more sleep. If you are sick or injured, you need time to rest and heal! There are some types of pain that make me want to snooze — mostly headaches. Often, I’ll try taking a nap to see if I can sleep the headache off before resorting to pain relievers. Though … Continue reading →

Feeling Better

I still have gratitude on my mind (’tis the season, after all!). And right now I’m thinking what a miracle it is to feel good. There are lots of times I don’t. I tend to get tension headaches, so if my day turns stressful (and it often does), I end up with a headache. Mostly, they’re minor, and easily ignored. Sometimes they need an over the counter pain remedy before they hit the road. It’s not a huge deal — but I am used to having some small level of pain in my head at any given time. The days … Continue reading →

What is a TENS Unit?

One option for managing pain is a TENS unit. TENS stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation… a scary name (electrical what now?) for a helpful therapy. How it works, in brief: electrodes are stuck to the skin in the area where a patient is experiencing pain. The TENS unit delivers an electrical current to the skin and tissues. Intensity of the current can vary; users generally report feeling tingling or pins and needles in the area. Why it works: experts believe that the electrical current disrupts the pain by giving a different sensation to the skin and tissues. The current … Continue reading →

Migraines and Vision

If you have a history of migraines and other headaches, you may be more likely to have retina damage than people who don’t have a history of migraines and headaches. A new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is linking retinopathy (retinal damage) with migraines. Retinopathy can lead to severe vision impairment and even blindness. Worse, both retinal disease and migraines have been linked with stroke. Migraine headaches affect approximately seventeen percent of women and six percent of men in the United States. Scientists aren’t exactly sure what causes migraines, though they suspect that both blood … Continue reading →

Witch Hazel

Despite the spooky name, this tree has nothing to do with witches! The name comes from an Old English word meaning “pliant” because the flexible branches made good bows for archers. Witch hazel is native to most of North America — the only place the tree is hard to come by is in the far west. It tends to grow in moist areas and prefers light woods and rocky streams. The tree prefers partial shade and sandy or peaty soil. Native Americans made a tea from the leaves and bark of the witch hazel tree. The tea was used to … Continue reading →

Stress and Women

A recent survey from the American Psychological Association found that more than eighty percent of women experience physical symptoms of stress like fatigue and headaches on a regular basis. Are you one of them? The thing is, most women think they’re managing their stress well. In the survey from the American Psychological Association, eighty-one percent of women said they were managing their stress “extremely well” or “somewhat well”. Despite that, eighty-one percent of women complained of physical symptoms of stress. How do you know if you’re stressed? Physical symptoms like headache, fatigue, and muscle tension. Impaired ability to focus or … Continue reading →

More Really Quick Health Boosters

Here are some more quick things you can do that will have a HUGE impact on your health. Cut your risk of serious disease, slow aging, get fit, and feel better all around with these really quick health boosters. Fight cancer in sixty seconds by eating your apple peel. Chemicals in apple peels inhibited the growth of breast cancer, liver cancer, and colon cancer cells in a study done from Cornell University. Fight aging in sixty seconds by taking a sniff of rosemary. Breathing in the scent for just a few minutes can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol … Continue reading →